


Fathers

by loveabove



Series: You Could Do Better [9]
Category: Vikings (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-23
Packaged: 2018-11-18 05:52:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11285004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveabove/pseuds/loveabove





	1. Part 1

Antoinette didn’t know much about Ragnar Lothbrok beyond the gossip she had been told and the small things Ivar had told her about him.

From what she heard, Ragnar was an intimidating man often followed closely by his even more intimidating brother, Rollo. The two worked alongside each other in the family business and were said to be shrewd negotiators with cold personalities.

Despite that, the two men in front of her didn’t seem anything like the rumors had stated. Even the small tidbits Ivar gave her didn’t quite paint this picture.

The two men, for all of their apparent intimidating looks, were rather jovial. Rollo, for all of his gruffness, had a rooming but infectious laugh. Ragnar, supposedly cold and cordial at all times, had a smile she knew Ivar shared, the kind that could light up a room. The only thing different about it was the fact Ragnar smiled far more often.

Aslaug had chosen to introduce her husband and brother in law to Antoinette while Ivar had errands to run with Ubbe. It was apparently rather rare for either brother to have much time off, their business required quite a lot of time to dedicate to it regardless of how many employees there were.

“This is Antoinette,” Aslaug had said when her brother in law asked, “She’s Ivar’s girlfriend.”

Ragnar had raised an eyebrow and let out a small laugh. “He never told me about you,” he had said, eying the unknown girl in front of him in a curious way, “how long have you been dating now?”

“Almost a year now,” Antoinette had answered, bashfully. She had expected far worse of the supposedly intimidating men.

The rest of the meeting had gone rather easily. Rollo had broken the ice with stories of visiting his brother’s youngest children when they were little and mentioned some embarrassing things Sigurd had done in his childhood. Ragnar had contributed with stories of the antics he, Rollo, and Floki had gotten into when they were younger. Even Aslaug had contributed stories on the ridiculous things her children had done when they were younger. All in all, it had been a rather good meeting. Despite that, when Ivar and Ubbe had returned, they had seemed gather gob smacked at the scene in front of them.

The two had walked in while Antoinette was contributing a story of her own to uproarious laughter from the men while Aslaug was fetching more beer. Ivar had come over then, seemingly unable to say anything at the scene he had witnessed.

“They don’t get along with people they don’t know very well,” Ivar had explained to her early the next day when she asked, “They don’t trust people enough to be so easygoing with him.” He had smiled at her then, bright and so much like his father’s.

Maybe that was true but hopefully their easygoing personas that night had meant that they liked her for Ivar. If so, she could deal with anything anyone else threw at her


	2. Part 2

Ivar Ragnarsson hadn’t imagined he would meet his Antoinette’s father at any point in their relationship. He had been told plenty about him though.

While Antoinette was his opposite, bright as the sun, he hadn’t quite thought she was the opposite of her father too. The man was nothing like Ivar though. While Ivar struck in anger, her father struck at whim. While Ivar never lay a hand on someone he claimed to love, her father most certainly had. It was why Antoinette wanted nothing to do with him.

Growing up, Antoinette, while she hadn’t been subjected to her father’s punches like her mother, had witnessed the abuse her mother suffered and had been subjected to verbal and emotional abuse. She had grown thinking no one would care about what was going on in the house she had lived in from what her father had spat at her every day. She grew up in a home he wouldn’t have imagined for her. It wasn’t until she was 12, almost 10 years before he had met her, that her mother had finally gotten away from her father and gotten him thrown in jail after a particularly bad beating.

10 years was exactly how long the man had gotten in prison. He had apparently gotten out without much fuss in 8 and was now living in the same town as his daughter. The same place as Ivar’s Antoinette. And he just couldn’t have that.

That was why he and Ubbe were off watching the man’s movements. He stuck out really, like a piece of hay among nails. The man didn’t have much by way of muscle and had a good amount of obvious prison tattoos on his arms. Every day, though, the man walked by the college campus. Every day, he got a little closer to finding Antoinette. Ivar just couldn’t have that. He wouldn’t allow that man back into his Antoinette’s life.

When they awoke in the morning, it was to a phone call from Antoinette’s mother to her cell phone. Apparently, her father had suddenly gone missing. Her mother was elated, it meant she could stop worrying and looking over her shoulder for him to suddenly appear behind her. It meant Antoinette could go about her day and never have to worry about running into him. It made Antoinette happy, a beautiful smile beaming across her face before she excitedly gave the news to Ivar.

Apparently, her father had missed a scheduled appointment with his parole officer the day before and couldn’t be reached. A search of his house had shown all of his clothes and a few other items were missing. Even if he showed up again, he would be thrown in jail without question.

Ivar didn’t care if she never knew it was because of him and Ubbe. The man was out of town now, fearing for his life and aware of what would happen should he ever attempt to contact either Antoinette or her mother. He didn’t mind that she didn’t know that.

He would do it all again. He would do worse, even.

Love had ensured that. And he loved Antoinette more than he ever thought he could love anyone. He would make sure she had all she needed as long as she would have him. He would protect her however he could, no matter who it was from.

He was never going to let anyone harm his Antoinette, a silent promise he would keep.


End file.
